America's Home Care Agencies: Leading the Way in Promoting Public Health

When Marie Desil, a home care nurse with my agency, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), recently took on the case of Doris*, an elderly woman with heart failure, she immediately set to work explaining to Doris and her family how to take her medications properly and manage her symptoms--advice that included limiting Doris' sodium and fluid intake and reporting any sudden weight gain. But Marie's nursing care didn't stop there. "After discussing with Doris and her family the importance of an annual flu shot, I got the okay from her doctor to administer the vaccine on my next visit," she says. "And I'll also be giving her a pneumonia vaccination." In addition, they discussed the importance of overall nutrition, good hygiene, and social interaction, including enrolling and securing transportation to a nearby senior center with help of a VNSNY social worker. "I explained that just sitting at home all day isn't good for her, because it can contribute to depression as well as physical and mental decline," notes Marie. If depression, anxiety or other behavioral health conditions appear to be affecting a patient, Marie also has the option of calling in one of our behavioral health nurses for an assessment and referral to additional care as needed. Similarly, if a patient has poorly controlled diabetes, she can make a referral to one of our diabetes nurse specialists. "I think of myself as a public health nurse," adds Marie, "because I'm not just coming into the patient's home...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news